In reading the report (ok, the executive summary), what Trump is guilty of, beyond any reasonable doubt, is being a liar and a self obsessed fool. More of a stunted adolescent than a strategic genius. We all know of his impulse control, we learn of his flaring temper, his distrust of everyone around him, the chronic dishonesty. He’s out to win a war against... the media, libs, dems, rinos... basically anyone who doesn’t like him... and deception is part of it. But it’s a deception wielded by a personality so corrupted by narcissism that it is solely focused the Trump brand, his stardom, his status and leverage. He comes off, basically, like the worst boss you could ever possibly have.
But being an asshole with zero emotional intelligence or impulse control is not a high crime nor a misdemeanor. Is he a toady for Putin? He sure seems to be sometimes. But it appears his business interests are mostly driving that. On the central question, was the Trump campaign actively coordinating with Russian agents to swing the election, the answer is fairly clear: No.
Which brings us to obstruction. Did Trump try to obstruct justice? Yes. Would he have done so had his subordinates followed his orders? Yes. Is there evidence that looks damning? Absolutely. Should the Democrats pursue an Obstruction Of Justice charge against the President?
Very very tricky question.
Given that the investigation showed that the underlying charge of conspiracy with Russia didn’t pan out, the crime he was trying to cover up DIDN’T HAPPEN. In Nixon’s case, the crime … actually a lot of crimes… DID happen. In this case, the coverup isn’t worse than the crime, the coverup appears to be the only crime. And that’s a case of Trump again being an idiot, more than a criminal.
I want Trump to lose the next election. I want him out of office. I think he’s a disaster. But I don’t think Impeachment is the way to do it. First of all, it won’t get him out (Senate GOP won’t convict). Second of all, the Dems have to stop raining down all these petty little cuts and relentless “Trump mangled diplomat’s name”, “Trump has toilet paper stuck to shoe” bullshit. America sees it… rightly… as the immune response of the DC political class seeking to rid itself of an invading virus.
But the DC political elite should look instead at how weak our nation’s immune system has become to this infection. Why did that happen?
Start with Bush Cheney misleading America into two wars that got us nothing but death and debt. Move on to the vast regulatory apparatus of the Federal government being so corrupted or negligent that the sub prime debt crisis blew up in its face. Remember the “robosigning” scandal? Lenders and banks had been so loose that they created and signed mortgage documents after the fact in order to foreclose on them! Then hope and change Obama arrives in the white house refusing to hold anyone accountable for any of it, lest he look less like Jackie Robinson and more like Che Guevera.
How to break the trust of the people? Lie them into meaningless wars, impoverish them, and then pretend none of it matters and everyone should just keep voting the political class back into office.
Trump was a very simple, very direct, ‘fuck you’ to all of that.
But he’s also a total pathological, narcissistic, lying nightmare of epic proportions.
I’m not gonna lie, I hoped Mueller would nail him. And believe me, the report makes Trump out to be a truly awful president, and a stupidly dishonest human being.
But he’s guilty only of being an Ass, not an Asset.
Get him at the polls.